Good Job, Yuna
by Strike To Incinerate
Summary: [PaineGippal, NoojLeblanc][Written from Paine's POV]After the defeat of Vegnagun, Paine finds herself with a nightmare, and gratitude to the person who kept it from coming true.


**Good Job, Yuna  
by: Strike To Incinerate**

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction. Square Enix owns all characters. This is in no way canon to the game (Final Fantasy X-2).  
Written from Paine's point of view._

_Inspiration: I wrote this a while ago, when I first started playing X-2. I was at 56 percent and fighting Vegnagun. YRP was about level 50. I had the toughest time at Shuyin. So, I went back and got a few more completetion points, got level 99, and kicked his ass. Really, at level 99, with a full Dark Knight, Black Mage and Gunner + Catnip, he's a piece of cake. The hard boss is Trema, at the end of the Hidden Halls (Via Infinito, whatever)._

_Pairings: Paine/Gippal, Nooj/Leblanc._

--

"We shoot Baralai." I remembered being shocked at this statement. He hadn't been wrong when he'd said it wasn't a smart plan; it was the most ridiculous plan I'd ever heard. Baralai was our navigator. Our teammate. Our best friend. "If we're lucky, he won't die. And Shuyin will come back for me. Then... I'll kill myself."

My eyes widened. "Nooj..." That was Yuna's voice, and my body seemed to act on it's own as I stepped forward and said, "But you're our captain."

"Exactly." His expression was blank, completely unreadable. I couldn't tell if he was excited about or dreading the use of this plan. Did he care about Leblanc? Underneath all her swooning and fawning over him, she really did care about him. What about Gippal and Baralai? They wouldn't let him go through with this plan. And what about me? It seemed like my protest had gone ignored. "I've already rigged my body. As soon as he comes back, I take him down with me."

I knew how he could be so calm. He was a Deathseeker, and he'd finally found his place to die. Unless one of us had a better idea, he would finally die, but it wouldn't be for nothing, to his credit. He was putting me in a tough position, knowing I didn't have a plan. Let one of my best and only friends die, or let Spira fall to Shuyin...

"Your plan..." Yuna's soft contemplating voice again. "Will it work?"

Nooj looked to me for a moment, and I hoped he could read the pain in my eyes and would change his mind. "Yes. It's not a smart plan, mind, you, but it will work. Shuyin will be gone."

My heart dropped. Nooj was set on dying right there, in the heart of the Farplane. It wasn't a heroic self-sacrifice; it was a selfish suicide.

"And Baralai..." Yuna kept talking. "He'll live?"

"My aim has never missed." Nooj said confidently. He wasn't lying.

"Then... let's do it. Let's save Spira," Yuna said. My heart completely left, as I knew what was coming next. There was a hollow space in my chest, so when I breathed, it felt like it was trying to fill that hole and my lungs. "We'll stay here in case something goes wrong."

Why was Yuna allowing this? What about Lenne's love for Shuyin and 'talking'? Why would my captain have to die? I looked away. There was nothing left to do but stand back and watch. As it turned out, all the times I kept our squad from killing each other and ourselves were for nothing. I looked up once, to give Nooj my last smile. Maybe Gippal and Baralai saw it, too.

"Noojie!" Leblanc's shout as Nooj raised his gun to aim at Baralai, who seemed absorbed in the task of getting Vegnagun moving. To save Spira... I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Then, something happened. Nooj's expression of solemn content changed. His lips curled into a smirk. Another voice moved with mine as I shouted, "No!" It was Gippal.

Baralai looked up, his confusion soon replaced by a wide-eyed expression on shock. His suddenly blood-shot eyes almost match the color of my own. Almost matched the color of the blood that trickled down his tanned skin. His body slumped forward, falling onto the technicolor keyboard that controlled Vegnagun.

When I rushed forward, sword in hand, I knew someone was beside me. It was Gippal. I knew I wasn't striking down Shuyin for Spira. I was doing it for Baralai and Nooj. When it was done, I tried to run to Baralai, but my engineer's arms were around me, holding me back. Nooj died with a smile.

'Good job, Paine...'

'Thanks, Paine.'

Their voices spoke to me there, and faded quickly, replaced by Yuna's soft tears. Then Leblanc's screaming.

--

I woke up. I hated that horrible dream, and I'm thankful everyday for Yuna's strength. She hadn't let Nooj go through with that plan. Slowly sitting up and glancing around, I could see the sleeping forms of my navigator, my captain (and his lover), Shinra... at my side, the engineer slept.

Or, so I thought. I knew better when his arm moved over my lap, and he muttered, "You abso- posi- better be going back to sleep. It's too early to fly this thing."

I smiled, lying back down. He turned, pressing his mouth against my neck. It was too early for a lot of things, but that had never stopped us before.

--

**End.**


End file.
